New Star ship incident
Encyclopedia
The New Star ship incident was an event that occurred near the eastern port city of Vladivostok
, when a Russia
n warship fired on a Chinese
cargo
vessel called the "New Star". The cargo ship was sunk on February 15, 2009, with Russia and China presenting different stories regarding the incident.
. At the time of the sinking it was flying a Sierra Leone
flag. There were 16 crew members, 6 Indonesia
n and 10 Chinese
citizens. The vessel was owned by Tongyu Shipping Zhejiang (浙江通宇船務有限公司) and leased to the Hong Kong based J-Rui Lucky shipping company (香港吉瑞祥（香港）有限公司).
where it had been impounded for alleged smuggling.
The agency reported that the ship had earlier been chased by two Russian coast guard vessels, but refused to stop despite being fired upon.
According to J-Rui the New Star delivered 4,978 tons of rice from Thailand
to the Russian port of Nakhodka
on January 29, 2009. But the Russian buyer refused to accept the rice because of quality concerns, suspended the unloading, and asked for damages of US$330,000. The New Star was detained at the port for several days, but on February 11 the unloading process restarted and was completed later the same day. The Russian agent did not cooperate in helping the New Star complete departure procedures. After a number of unsuccessful attempts to obtain customs clearance, the Tongyu Shipping Company instructed the captain to set sail on the evening of February 12.
On February 13 according to the J-Rui account, the Russian authorities sent coastal guard vessels to pursue the New Star, on the grounds that it had not received permission to leave port. A survivor account describes how a Russian warship fired on the cargo ship for several hours using artillery
and heavy machine guns, severely damaging its hull
. The Russian patrol then ordered the New Star back to Nakhodka despite the damages. At 3:06 AM on February 15, 2009 the ship sank.
at the cargo vessel, sinking it in Russian waters near the eastern port city of Vladivostok
. The RIA Novosti said crew members attempted to escape in two life-rafts after their ship was sinking. Only half of them were rescued by a Russian vessel. According to Xinhua News Agency
, 7 sailors were still missing and only 3 were rescued.
Official Xinhua news agency also reported that China's Vice Foreign Minister Li Hui told Russia's ambassador "The Chinese side expresses shock and deep concern over this incident, We call on the Russian side to begin with a humanitarian spirit... and continue to make all efforts to find the missing personnel."
He expressed regret over the incident but said “We regret the tragic consequences of this incident, however we consider the captain of the New Star, who behaved extremely irresponsibly, is fully to blame for the incident.”
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
, when a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n warship fired on a Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
vessel called the "New Star". The cargo ship was sunk on February 15, 2009, with Russia and China presenting different stories regarding the incident.
New Star
The New Star (新星) was a 5000 ton ship leased by a company based in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. At the time of the sinking it was flying a Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
flag. There were 16 crew members, 6 Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n and 10 Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
citizens. The vessel was owned by Tongyu Shipping Zhejiang (浙江通宇船務有限公司) and leased to the Hong Kong based J-Rui Lucky shipping company (香港吉瑞祥（香港）有限公司).
Russian media claims
According to the RIA Novosti there were indications that the ship violated the Russian border, while other reports said that the ship had been held earlier for suspected smuggling by Russian authorities and had set sail without permission. Other sources have said the ship had earlier fled the Russian port of NakhodkaNakhodka
Nakhodka is a port city in Primorsky Krai, Russia, situated on the Trudny Peninsula jutting into the Nakhodka Bay of the Sea of Japan, about east of Vladivostok...
where it had been impounded for alleged smuggling.
The agency reported that the ship had earlier been chased by two Russian coast guard vessels, but refused to stop despite being fired upon.
Chinese J-Rui(吉瑞祥) claims
According to a written statement by the Hong Kong based J-Rui Lucky Shipping company(吉瑞祥):According to J-Rui the New Star delivered 4,978 tons of rice from Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
to the Russian port of Nakhodka
Nakhodka
Nakhodka is a port city in Primorsky Krai, Russia, situated on the Trudny Peninsula jutting into the Nakhodka Bay of the Sea of Japan, about east of Vladivostok...
on January 29, 2009. But the Russian buyer refused to accept the rice because of quality concerns, suspended the unloading, and asked for damages of US$330,000. The New Star was detained at the port for several days, but on February 11 the unloading process restarted and was completed later the same day. The Russian agent did not cooperate in helping the New Star complete departure procedures. After a number of unsuccessful attempts to obtain customs clearance, the Tongyu Shipping Company instructed the captain to set sail on the evening of February 12.
On February 13 according to the J-Rui account, the Russian authorities sent coastal guard vessels to pursue the New Star, on the grounds that it had not received permission to leave port. A survivor account describes how a Russian warship fired on the cargo ship for several hours using artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
and heavy machine guns, severely damaging its hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
. The Russian patrol then ordered the New Star back to Nakhodka despite the damages. At 3:06 AM on February 15, 2009 the ship sank.
Result
The warship fired 500 roundsCartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
at the cargo vessel, sinking it in Russian waters near the eastern port city of Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
. The RIA Novosti said crew members attempted to escape in two life-rafts after their ship was sinking. Only half of them were rescued by a Russian vessel. According to Xinhua News Agency
Xinhua News Agency
The Xinhua News Agency is the official press agency of the government of the People's Republic of China and the biggest center for collecting information and press conferences in the PRC. It is the largest news agency in the PRC, ahead of the China News Service...
, 7 sailors were still missing and only 3 were rescued.
Official Chinese government responses
On Feb 20, 2009 the official Xinhua news agency reported that China's foreign ministry's Zhang Xiyun, director-general for the Department of European-Central Asian Affairs, said "the attitude of the Russian foreign ministry is hard to understand and unacceptable."Official Xinhua news agency also reported that China's Vice Foreign Minister Li Hui told Russia's ambassador "The Chinese side expresses shock and deep concern over this incident, We call on the Russian side to begin with a humanitarian spirit... and continue to make all efforts to find the missing personnel."
Official Russian government response
Russian diplomat spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said "We took exhaustive measures to stop the boat: the border guards fired warning shots, but the New Star continued on its way without reacting to the orders."He expressed regret over the incident but said “We regret the tragic consequences of this incident, however we consider the captain of the New Star, who behaved extremely irresponsibly, is fully to blame for the incident.”
External links
Additional sources
- http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-02/20/content_7495973.htm
- http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=acUuNBiKjveM&refer=asia
- http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/news/new-star-pursued-by-russian-coast-guard-before-sinking/20017619947.htm
- http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jNrh6cf0HfTyzYkoHh9yZ8Azmf7w
- http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/21/world/asia/21china.html?ref=world
- http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090218/120196388.html
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- In Chinese:山西新闻网 山西晚报:沉船事件仍然扑朔迷离（图）Google translation
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- In Chinese:德國之聲中文網:“新星号事件”俄中各有说法 Google translation
- InChinese:解放日報:失踪的7名中国船员中5具遗体被发现中方不能接受俄就沉船表态 为何只救出一艘小艇
- In Chinese:东方早报 选稿:黄骏:新星号船主:俄编弥天大谎欲掩盖真相推责任http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&u=http://mil.eastday.com/m/node319506/u1a4187713.html&ei=A9CkSZWFIoKqsAONjKyxAg&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=2&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%25E6%2596%25B0%25E6%2598%259F%25E5%258F%25B7%25E8%2588%25B9%25E4%25B8%25BB:%25E4%25BF%2584%25E7%25BC%2596%25E5%25BC%25A5%25E5%25A4%25A9%25E5%25A4%25A7%25E8%25B0%258E%25E6%25AC%25B2%25E6%258E%25A9%25E7%259B%2596%25E7%259C%259F%25E7%259B%25B8%25E6%258E%25A8%25E8%25B4%25A3%25E4%25BB%25BB%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG Google translation]
- In Chinese:“新星”号沉没“罗生门” 编辑：航运信息网 Google translation